Horse boot assembly

ABSTRACT

A horse boot assembly includes: a boot body shaped to accommodate a hoof of a horse, a fastening device associated with the boot body for fastening the boot assembly onto the hoof, and an adapter. The adapter is compressed against a rear part of the hoof upon fastening of the fastening device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a 371 of PCT/IT2007/000729 filed Oct. 18, 2007, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a horse boot assembly to be applied tohooves of a horse, in particular, but not exclusively, shoed hooves.

PRIOR ART

It is known the use of horse boots to protect the hooves and, ingeneral, the feet of a horse. Such horse boots can be used both forhooves without with horseshoes and/or hooves affected by pathologies,and for shoed hooves.

In particular, in case of shoed hooves and in the absence of specificpathologies, horse boots perform various advantageous functions. Forexample, in case of hard (dirt patch, asphalt, concrete), stony oruneven surfaces, the horse boots allow to damp the impact of the feetagainst the ground, thus substantially limiting danger of contusiontraumas of the hoof. In case of work on sandy surfaces, they allow toreduce the pressure to which hooves, particularly the front hooves whenthey contact the ground upon impact after a jump, are subjected due tothe filling of the frog with sand. In case of work on snowy surfaces,horse boots substantially eliminate the problem of accumulation ofcompressed snow in the frog.

The design of any horse boot must take into account both the particularshape of the hooves, substantially rounded and without relevantundercuts, and the high forces released on them each time the feetcontact the ground. Both factors make it difficult to establish and/ormaintain a firm connection between the horse boot and the hoof when thehorse is at work. A not sufficiently firm connection can cause unwantedmovements between the horse boot and the hoof during use, up to thepoint of detachment of the horse boot and consequent loss thereof.

The horse boots of the prior art, in particular those for the use withshoed hooves, attempted to solve these problems in various ways.

For example, patent EP 0 651 943 discloses a horse boot made of anelastomeric flexible material comprising a sole and an upper integrallyformed. In the internal rear part, between the sole and the upper,housings are formed for the ends of the bars of a horseshoe associatedwith the hoof. The engagement of the horse boot with the wall of thehoof at the front and with the ends of the bars of the horseshoe at therear allows to obtain a connection between the horse boot and the hoof.However, in order to guarantee firmness of such connection, the shapeand the size of the horse boot must be precisely adapted to the shape ofthe hoof. This makes application and removal of the horse bootdifficult, especially when, because of the use, the elastomeric materialloses its initial flexibility.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,958 discloses a horse boot comprising a sole, aflexible upper adapted to envelope the hoof of a horse and fasteningmeans to secure the horse boot to the hoof. The fastening means comprisea strap arranged at the rear internal part of the boot and free to slidewith respect to the upper, and a pulling system associated with thestrap. Once the horse boot has been applied onto the hoof, by means ofthe pulling system the strap is pulled parallel to the sole until itcomes into contact with the rear part of the hoof, thus determining afirm connection thereto. Although this boot is easier to apply and toremove and provides greater adaptability to different hoof shapes and/orsizes, it has a complex structure, which requires provision and assemblyof a large number of members. In addition, the horse boot described inthis document does not ensures uniform and enveloping contact betweenthe walls of the upper and the hoof. In particular, where the strap actsupon fastening a gap arise between the hoof and the upper, whereinmaterial from outside can accumulate; should this occur, the use of thehorse boot becomes uncomfortable for the horse, and in the worst case,it can lead to injuries on the hoof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem underlying the present invention is to provide animproved horse boot which allows to achieve a firm connection with thehoof, is easy and quick to fit and remove by a horseman, and has astructure which is simple and can be manufactured at a low cost.

This problem is solved according to the present invention by a horseboot assembly having the features set forth in the attached claim 1.

Preferred features of the horse boot assembly according to the inventionare set forth in the dependent claims.

In particular, the invention refers to a horse boot assembly comprising:

-   -   a boot body shaped to house a hoof of a horse;    -   fastening means associated with the boot body for fastening the        horse boot assembly onto the hoof, and    -   an adapter, characterised in that said adapter is compressed        against a rear part of the hoof upon fastening of said fastening        means.

The adapter compressed against the hoof upon fastening of the fasteningmeans associated with the boot body advantageously allows to obtain afirm connection at the rear part of the hoof. In addition, cooperationbetween the various parts upon fastening is such to ensure an envelopingcontact, substantially without undesired gaps, both between the adapterand the rear part of the hoof, and, possibly, between the boot body andthe adapter. Nevertheless, application and removal of the horse bootassembly still remain easy, in that, when the fastening means areloosened, the adapter frees the hoof, returning to a rest position.

The structure that allows these effects to be achieved is particularlysimple and comprises a limited number of members, which can be obtainedthrough conventional mass production processes, and, where required, canbe assembled with each other easily either by the manufacturer or by theend user.

Moreover, each of the adapter and the boot body can be made according tothe most suitable shape and using the most appropriate materialdepending on the respective function.

Preferably, the adapter comprises a base positioned on a portion of asole of the boot body, and a vertical wall adapted to be interposedbetween a rear portion of the upper of the boot body and said rear partof the hoof.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hoof isprovided with a horseshoe and the adapter comprises engagement means forengagement with the horseshoe. Thus, by means of the adapter it isadvantageously possible to also use parts of the horseshoe as engagementareas between the horse boot assembly and hoof, thus enhancing thefirmness and stability of the connection between the two.

Preferably, the engagement means comprise at least one rib extendedhorizontally along the vertical wall of the adapter, which rib isadapted to define an upper abutment for at least one portion of thehorseshoe projecting at the rear with respect to the hoof. Such at leastone projecting portion of the horseshoe is thus advantageously used asan undercut with which said at least one rib can cooperate in thefastened configuration of the horse boot assembly in such a way tosubstantially eliminate the possibility of detachment of the horse bootassembly.

More preferably, the engagement means comprise a plurality of ribsextending horizontally at different heights along said vertical wall ofthe adapter. This provides the adapter, and thus the horse bootassembly, with a greater versatility as far as engagement with hooves ofdifferent sizes and/or horseshoes of different thicknesses is concerned.

Regardless of the presence of the abovementioned ribs, when using openhorseshoes the engagement means preferably comprise a raised area at thebase of the adapter adapted to be interposed in abutment between theends of the bars of the horseshoe. Advantageously, such raised areacooperates with the ends of the bars of the horseshoe so as tosubstantially prevent rotations of the horse boot assembly with respectto the hoof.

Preferably, the raised area is formed by interposing a shim between thesole of the boot body and the base of the adapter. Advantageously, onthe one hand, using a separate shim allows to form the raised part atthe base of the adapter without modifying the adapter or the boot bodythemselves, while, on the other hand, it allows to obtain an optimalengagement with the horseshoe, in that the size of the shim can beselected each time so as to be precisely adapted to the shape and sizeof a particular horseshoe. In particularly, with this arrangement thehorse boot assembly according to the present invention can beimmediately and easily used even in case of shoeing with closed orO-shaped horseshoes, simply by omitting the shim.

Preferably, the shim comprises at least one plate having a widthsubstantially equal to the distance between said ends of the bars of thehorseshoe.

Preferably, the shim is made of a material having a higher stiffnesswith respect to the material of the adapter. Therefore, advantageously,the raised area is formed in dynamic conditions further to the naturaldeformation of the base of the adapter under the weight of the horse.

Preferably, the shim is made of an elastomeric material having Shore Ahardness comprised between about 70 and about 90.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, in place of theabovementioned raised area, the engagement means preferably comprise atleast two projections extended vertically from the base of the adapterand positioned so as to define a lateral abutment at inner end sides ofthe bars of the horseshoe.

More preferably, the engagement means comprise a plurality ofprojections extending vertically from the base of the adapter, at leasttwo projections of such plurality of projections being adapted to definea lateral abutment at inner sides of said ends of the bars of thehorseshoe. This provides the horse boot assembly with a greaterversatility and adaptability for use with horseshoes of different shapeor sizes. In particular, one or more projections can be eliminatedbefore use to allow proper engagement with horseshoes having differentspan.

Preferably, the vertical wall of the adapter comprises a cut extendingvertically from the upper edge thereof. This, on the one hand, providesfor a certain degree of adaptability with respect to hooves of differentshape and/or size, while, on the other hand, advantageously facilitatesan optimal positioning of the adapter against the rear part of the hoofupon fastening the fastening means, preventing in particular formationof folds of material further to the compression.

Preferably, the vertical wall of the adapter comprises at least oneeyelet for the passage of said fastening means. By means of this atleast one eyelet the fastening means can be associated directly alsowith the adapter, as well as with the boot body, and thus they canensure an optimal accommodation of the adapter against the rear part ofthe hoof upon fastening. Moreover, when the horse boot assembly is notworn, the adapter and the boot body are mutually connected by means ofthe fastening means and thus an inadvertent loss of the adapter is notpossible.

Preferably, the adapter is made in one piece. Therefore, it does notrequire complicated assembly operations and it can be readily associatedwith the boot body.

Preferably, the adapter is made of a material having a lower stiffnesswith respect to the material of the boot body. Thus, advantageously, theadapter can provide for an optimal and non invasive contact with therear part of the hoof, with proper adaptation to different hoof shapes.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adapter is made as anelement distinct from the boot body.

In alternative preferred embodiments, the adapter can even be madeintegrally with the boot body. When elastomeric materials are used, thiscan be attained through overmoulding or co-injection processes known tothe those skilled in the art.

Preferably, the adapter is made of an elastomeric material having aShore A hardness comprised between about 40 and about 70. These valuesprovides the adapter with optimal flexibility and softness for obtainingthe aforementioned non invasive contact with the upper part of the hoof.In addition, the use of elastomeric material allows mass production atlow costs through conventional moulding or injection productionprocesses.

The boot body comprises a front portion of upper intended to come intocontact with the wall of the hoof and such front portion preferablycomprises, at the side facing the inside of the boot body, at least onegrooved area with parallel grooves substantially perpendicular to theedge of the upper. Such grooves advantageously ensure a suitableaeration of the nail and of the front part the hoof, favouring as muchas possible the natural perspiration of these parts and thus preventingthe onset of hoof pathologies related to lack of perspiration.

Preferably, said front portion of upper comprises a first cut extendingvertically from the upper edge thereof.

Furthermore, the boot body comprises a rear portion of upper and suchrear portion comprises preferably a second cut extending vertically fromthe upper edge thereof.

Such first and second cuts, as well as the cut in the vertical wall ofthe adapter, advantageously provide for a certain degree of adaptabilitywith respect to hooves of different shape and/or dimensions. Inaddition, they allow temporarily a greater opening of the boot body,thus facilitating its application onto the hoof.

To further improve adaptability, the second cut preferably extendspartially into the sole of the boot body.

Preferably, in this case, the boot body comprises a diaphragm arrangedat a portion of said second cut extended into the sole. Thisadvantageously avoids the passage of soil, sand or other materials intothe boot body through such cut.

Preferably, the boot body is made in one piece. Thus, it does notrequire complicated assembly operations and it can be readily associatedwith the adapter.

Preferably, the boot body is made of an elastomeric material having aShore A hardness comprised between about 70 and about 90. These valuesprovides the boot body with a stiffness and resistance to impacts andabrasion suitable for its protective function and, at the same time,ensure a low friction between sole and most common hard surfaces, suchas dirt patch, asphalt, concrete. In addition, as already mentioned withreference to the adapter, the use of an elastomeric material allows massproduction at low costs through conventional moulding or injectionproduction processes.

Preferably, the fastening means form a multiple pulley traction system.In this manner, due to the force multiplication effect, it isadvantageously possible to achieve a high fastening force uponapplication of a relatively low pulling force by the user.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fasteningmeans comprise a first ribbon-like element folded on itself having twofree ends connectible at a fastening group defining a first pulley ofthe multiple pulley traction system, and a second ribbon-like elementfolded on itself and connected to the first ribbon-like element at anintermediate section and at free ends thereof through rings defining asecond pulley of said multiple pulley traction system. Thisconfiguration allows to obtain an optimal accommodation of the fasteningmeans with respect to the boot body and, consequently, acircumferentially more uniform distribution of the fastening force.

In an alternative embodiment; the fastening means comprise oneribbon-like element folded on itself, said ribbon-like element havingtwo free ends connectible at a fastening group defining a pulley of themultiple pulley traction system, and being closed ring-wise around theboot body by means of a ring defining a second pulley of the multiplepulley traction system.

Preferably, the boot body comprises openings for the passage of saidfastening means. Such openings allow to slidably associate the fasteningmeans to the boot body for an effective cooperation of such means withthe boot body upon fastening.

In particular, the boot body preferably comprises two pairs of firstopenings formed at the front portion of the upper and two pairs ofsecond opening formed at the rear portion of the upper.

Preferably, the first openings and the second openings are arrangedsymmetrically with respect to a middle longitudinal axis of said bootbody.

Preferably, the fastening means are associated with said boot body so asto pass at least partially internally with respect to the boot body andexternally with respect to the adapter. Through this arrangement,advantageously the fastening means act at least partially independentlyon the adapter and on the boot body, allowing a better accommodation ofthe elements between them. Thus, the adapter is compressed both directlyby the fastening means and by the thrust of the boot body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention shallbecome clearer from the following description of some preferredembodiments thereof, made hereafter, for indicating and not limitingpurposes, with reference to the attached drawings. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a horse boot assembly according to apreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the horse boot assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic rear view of the horse boot assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic right side view of the horse boot assembly of FIG.1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic left side view of the horse boot assembly of FIG.1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 1 ofthe horse boot assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 a is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 6, referred to analternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 b is a schematic enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 6 a;

FIG. 7 is a schematic side sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 1 andwith parts partially removed of the horse boot assembly of FIG. 1, whichshows the assembly in a configuration applied onto a shoed hoof of ahorse but not fastened thereto;

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 7, which shows theassembly in a configuration applied onto a shoed hoof of a horse andfastened thereto;

FIG. 9 is a schematic front perspective view of the boot body of theboot assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a schematic rear perspective view of the boot body of theboot assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a schematic bottom perspective view of the boot body of theboot assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 a is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 11, referred to analternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic front perspective view of the adapter of the bootassembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 a is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 12 referred to analternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a schematic rear perspective view of the adapter of the bootassembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a schematic bottom perspective view of a shim plate for theboot assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a schematic top perspective view of a shim plate for the bootassembly of FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the horse boot assembly accordingto the invention is globally indicated by reference numeral 1.

The assembly 1 essentially comprises a boot body 2, shaped toaccommodate a hoof 10 of a horse (see FIGS. 7 and 8), an adapter 3arranged inside the boot body 2, and fastening means 4 associated to theboot body 2 for fastening the assembly 1 onto the hoof 10.

The hoof 10 is provided with a horseshoe 11 which, in the embodiment ofthe invention shown herein, is of the open or U-shaped type, but itcould also be of the closed or O-shaped type.

As shown in particular in FIGS. 9-11, the boot body 2 essentiallyconsists of a sole 20 and an upper 21 made in one piece of anelastomeric material, through conventional injection moulding processes.A preferred elastomeric material for the boot body 2 is thermoplasticpolyurethane having Shore A hardness comprised between about 70 andabout 90. The optimal hardness values within such range shall beselected depending on the expected use conditions, in particulardepending on the season and ambient temperature.

The sole 20 has an internal side and external side. The internal side(see FIGS. 1 and 10) comprises a raised central area 220, intended tocome into contact with the central part of the hoof 10, not covered bythe horseshoe 11, and a peripheral area 221, intended to accommodate thehorseshoe 11. The external side (see FIG. 11) comprises a hollow centralarea 230, negative with respect to the raised central area 220 on theinternal side, and a peripheral area preferably provided withembossments 232. The shape and arrangement of the embossments 232 can beadvantageously selected according to the type of soil and and/ordiscipline, in order to obtain the best relationship between theassembly 1 and the soil.

As shown in FIG. 11 a, in addition to the embossments 232, studs 233 canbe provided integrally made with the sole 20 or, in case of metal studs,associated to or overmoulded with the sole 20. Obviously, the number andshape of the studs 233 shown in FIG. 11 a are solely for illustrativepurpose and they can vary depending on the requirements.

With the assembly 1 it is also possible to use spikes of various lengthpressure-fitted or screwed into the sole 20 or else screwed normallyonto the horseshoe 11. In the latter case, through holes need to bedrilled into the sole 20 in advance at the position intended for thespikes.

The upper 21 extends peripherally from the sole 20 and comprises a frontportion 210, slanted with respect to the sole 20 in such a manner toform a suitable undercut for the front wall of the hoof 10, and a rearportion 211, substantially vertical. The height of the upper 21 ispreferably such not to reach, both at the front and, above all, at therear, sensitive parts of the hoof 10.

The front portion 210 comprises, at the side facing the inside of theboot body 2, grooved areas 212 with parallel grooves substantiallyperpendicular to the edge of the upper 21. Preferably, as shown in FIG.10, the grooved areas 212 are formed both at the upper edge and at thebase of the upper 21. However, according to alternative embodiments, notillustrated, it is possible to provide grooved areas 212 which extendalong the entire height of the upper 21.

The boot body 2 comprises a first V-shaped cut 24 at the front portion210 of the upper 21, extending vertically form the upper edge thereof,and a second cut 25 at the rear portion 211 of the upper 21, alsoextending vertically from the upper edge of the same. The second cut 25extends also partially into the sole 20 and, at the portion in the sole20, it is closed towards the exterior by a diaphragm 26 (see FIG. 11).The diaphragm 26 is preferably V-folded in the transverse direction, sothat possible opening of the second cut 25 resulting from the adaptationof the boot body 2 to different shapes and/or dimensions of the hoof 10is not hindered. Both cuts 24 and 25 are preferably formed along amiddle longitudinal axis of the boot body 2, whose trace coincides withthe line A-A of FIG. 1.

The boot body 2 further comprises openings in the upper 21 for thepassage of the fastening means 4, as better described subsequently. Inparticular, in the preferred embodiment illustrated herein there are twopairs of openings 271, 272 and 273, 274 in the front portion 210 of theupper 21 and two pairs of openings 281, 282 and 283, 284 in the rearportion 211 of the upper 21. Such pairs of openings are preferablyarranged symmetrically with respect to the middle longitudinal axis ofthe boot body 2.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 12 and 13, the adapter 3 comprises asubstantially flat base 30, intended to lie on a portion of the sole 20of the boot body 2, and a curved vertical wall 31, intended to beinterposed between the rear portion 211 of the upper 21 of the boot body2 and the rear part of the hoof 10.

Also the adapter 3 is formed in one piece in an elastomeric material,through conventional injection moulding processes. Preferred materialsfor the adapter 3 are modified thermoplastic polyurethanes having aShore A hardness comprised between about 40 and about 70. The optimalvalues of hardness within such range shall be selected depending on theexpected conditions of use, in particular depending on the season andambient temperature.

The adapter 3 can be made as a separate element with respect to the bootbody 2 (see in particular FIGS. 1, 6, 12, 12 a e 13) or partially orentirely integrally with the boot body 1 (see FIGS. 6 a and 6 b) throughovermoulding or co-injection processes known to those skilled in theart.

The adapter 3 comprises a V-shaped cut 34 at the vertical wall 31,extending vertically from the upper edge thereof. The cut 34 ispreferably formed along a middle longitudinal axis of the adapter 3,whose trace coincides with the line A-A of FIG. 1.

The adapter 3 further comprises two eyelets 36 for the passage of thefastening means 4, formed on the external side of the vertical wall 31and substantially projecting perpendicularly thereto. The eyelets 36 aremade at the edges of the cut 34 so as that, in the assembledconfiguration of the assembly 1, they are positioned within the cut 25in the rear portion 211 of the boot body 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 3).

The adapter 3 is provided with engagement means with the horseshoe 11.

A first group of such engagement means comprises a plurality of ribs 32extending horizontally at different heights along the vertical wall 31,at least one of which is at a height suitable to define an upperabutment for the ends 110 of the bars of the horseshoe 11 (or for therear peripheral edge of the same, in case of a closed or O-shapedhorseshoe) when the adapter 3 is compressed against the rear part of thehoof 10 further to the fastening of the fastening means 4 (see FIG. 8).

A second group of engagement means comprises a raised area 37 in thebase 30 of the adapter 3 adapted to be interposed in abutment betweenthe ends 110 of the bars of the horseshoe 11 (see FIGS. 1, 6-8).

In the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, the raised area 37 isformed by interposing a shim 5 between the sole 20 of the boot body 2and the base 30 of the adapter. Such shim 5 is defined by a plate 50 ofsuitable dimensions and made of a material having a higher stiffnesswith respect to the material the adapter is made of, thus the raisedarea 37 is formed further to the natural deformation of the base of theadapter under the pressure of the horse weight when the assembly 1 isworn onto the hoof 10. A preferred material for making the plate 50 isthermoplastic polyurethane having Shore A hardness comprised betweenabout 70 and about 90.

The plate 50 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) preferably is substantially T-shaped,with a horizontal portion 51 and vertical portion 52. The width of thehorizontal portion 51 is substantially equal to the distance between theends 110 of the bars of the horseshoe 11, so that interposition withabutment of the raised area 37 in the base 30 of the adapter 3 betweenthe bars is obtained.

The ends of the horizontal portion 51 can be possibly shortened by theuser depending on the needs. To make such operation easier, some cuts510 are preferably preformed at such ends. Of course, when using theassembly 1 on hooves with closed or O-shaped horseshoes, the plate canbe easily omitted, so that the raised area 37 is not formed.

Preferably, at opposite sides of the vertical portion 52 flaps 520 withreduced thickness are provided, which are adapted to be engaged withcuts 35 formed in the base 30 of the adapter 3 (see FIG. 1).Furthermore, preferably, at the upper and lower faces of the plate 50ribs 501 and 502 respectively are provided, which are adapted to engagerespectively with the base of cut 34 in the vertical wall 31 of theadapter 3, and with the portion extended into the sole 20 of cut 25 inthe upper 21 of the boot body. The ribs 501 and 502 thus advantageouslyallow proper centring of the plate 50 with respect to the boot body 2and the adapter 3 while assembling the set 1, as well as itspreservation during use.

In case the adapter 3 is made as a separate element with respect to theboot body 1, the application or removal of the plate 50 is readily doneby disassembling the assembly 1. In case the adapter 3 is formedintegrally with the boot body 2, for application or removal of the plate50 it is possible, for example, to provide for an opening between thesole 20 of the boot body 2 and the base 30 of the adapter 3 adapted toreceive in a drawer-like manner the plate 50 and is accessible fromoutside the boot body 2.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the abovementioned raisedarea 37 in the base 30 of the adapter 3 can be replaced by two or moreprojections 33 extending vertically from the base 30. FIG. 12 a shows anexample of such alternative embodiment, in which the raised area 37 hasbeen replaced by a plurality of projections 30 having the form ofparallel reeds of suitable thickness. The zone of the base 30 comprisingthe projections 33 extends transversely so that, when the assembly 1 isworn on the hoof 10, the projections 33 are positioned between the ends110 of the bars of the horseshoe and two projections 33 transverselymore external are in lateral abutment against the internal sides of theends 110. In case of use with horseshoes particularly closed in the rearpart, it is possible to remove some of the projections 33 originallyformed, so that the remaining ones are properly positioned between theends 110 of the bars of the horseshoe. The projections 33 can also becompletely removed in case of use with closed or O-shaped horseshoes.

As shown in particular in FIGS. 1-5, the fastening means 4 comprise tworibbon-like elements in form of straps 41, 42, which are peripherallyassociated to the boot body 2 at the upper edge of the upper 21 and areconnected with each other in a manner to form a multiple pulley tractionsystem, described below.

The strap 41, associated with the front portion 210 of the upper 21, isfolded on itself in a manner to form two branches 410, 411. The firstbranch 410 is slidably associated with the upper 21 at the openings271-274. In detail, it passes from the outside of the upper 21 to theinside of the same at the opening 271; it returns to the outside at theopening 272; it passes to the inside again at the opening 273 andfinally it returns to the outside at the opening 274. The second branch411 always passes outside the upper 21.

On the second branch 411 there are free ends 412, 413 of the strap 41,which can cooperate for the fastening by means of a fastening group 43.The fastening group 43 essentially comprises a ring 430 fixed at thefree end 412, around which the free end 413 is returned. Thus, uponfastening, the ring 430 acts as a first pulley of the aforementionedmultiple pulley traction system. The fastening group 43 furthercomprises a friction element 431, also fixed to the free end 412, which,in fastened conditions, prevents the free end 413 from sliding withrespect to the ring 430.

The strap 42, associated with the rear portion 211 of the upper 21 isalso folded on itself so as to form two branches 420, 421. Both suchbranches, though following different paths, are slidably associated withthe upper 21 at the openings 281-284. In detail, the first branch 420passes from the outside of the upper 21 to the inside of the same at theopening 281; inside the upper 21 it passes outside the adapter 3 fittinginto the eyelets 36 of the latter; finally it returns to the outside theupper 21 at opening 284. The second branch 421 passes from the outsideof the upper 21 to the inside of the same at the opening 282; inside theupper 21 it passes outside the adapter 3 fitting with the first branch420 into the eyelets 36; finally it returns to the outside of the upper21 at the opening 283.

Free ends 422, 423 of the strap 43 are provided with respective rings44, 45, through which they are slidably connected with an end of thestrap 42 folded on itself. An additional ring 46 acts as a slidingconnection between the remaining ends of the straps 41 and 42 folded onthemselves, globally closing them ring-wise around the upper 21. Fromthe point of view of the first strap 41, rings 44, 45 on the one handand ring 46 on the other hand act globally as a second pulley of theabovementioned multiple pulley traction system.

A man skilled in the art can find other embodiments for the fasteningmeans 4, in any case suitable for defining a multiple pulley tractionsystem acting on the periphery of the upper 21 as in the preferredembodiment described above.

For example, in an alternative embodiment not illustrated, it ispossible to use only one strap, for example strap 41. This strap isstill folded on itself and it has free ends 410, 411 that can cooperatefor fastening by means of the fastening group 43, at which a firstpulley of the multiple pulley traction system is defined. The strap 41folded on itself is in turn closed ring-wise and the ends of the foldedstrap are connected with each other through a ring, defining a secondpulley of the pulley traction system.

The functioning of the horse boot assembly 1 described above isillustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, which show the relation between suchassembly and the shoed hoof 10. The application of the assembly 1 ontothe hoof 10 occurs with the fastening means 4 in a non-fastenedcondition, so as to allow maximum access and, if necessary, opening ofthe boot body 2 at the cuts 24 and 34. FIG. 7 shows the relation betweenthe hoof 10 and the assembly 1 worn, but not fastened. It can beobserved that the front wall of the hoof 10 abuts with the front portion210 of the upper 21, while the rear part is freely accommodated by theadapter 3. The horseshoe 11 is positioned at the peripheral zone 221 ofthe sole 20 and the raised area 37 (or the projections 33 in thealternative embodiment of the adapter 3 shown in FIG. 12 a) of theadapter 3 is inserted in abutment between the ends 110 of the bars ofthe horseshoe 11.

Upon fastening of the fastening means 4, the thrust peripherallygenerated by such means, schematically indicated by the arrows B in FIG.8, causes in particular the compression of the adapter 3 against therear part of the hoof 10. Further to such compression, one of the ribs32 of the adapter 3 engages with the ends 110 of the bars of thehorseshoe 11, thus forming an upper abutment for them, and the entirevertical wall 31 of the adapter 3 adheres and conforms to the rear zoneof the hoof 10. In this condition, the assembly 1 is substantiallyintegral with the hoof 10 both with respect to rotations and todetachment.

Obviously, those skilled in the art may introduce variants andmodifications in the horse boot assembly described above, in order tosatisfy specific and contingent requirements, which variants andmodifications fall anyhow within the scope of protection as is definedby the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A horse boot assembly comprising: a bootbody shaped to accommodate a hoof of a horse provided with a horseshoe,the boot body having a sole with a first raised section in a centralarea of the sole configured to contact a portion of the hoof not coveredby the horseshoe, and a second section disposed to the front and sidesof the first raised section and configured to accommodate a front andsides of the horseshoe; fastening means associated with said boot bodyfor fastening the boot assembly onto said hoof; and an adapter distinctfrom and inserted in said boot body, the adapter comprising a base lyingon a portion of the sole of the boot body, and a vertical wall adaptedto be interposed between a rear portion of an upper of the boot body anda rear part of the hoof, wherein said adapter further comprisesengagement means for engagement with said horseshoe, and engagementmeans are configured for engagement with an open horseshoe and saidengagement means comprise a raised area in said base of the adapter, theraised area being disposed rearward of said first raised section andconfigured for interposition in abutment between ends of bars of theopen horseshoe, and wherein said adapter is compressed against said rearpart of said hoof upon fastening of said fastening means.
 2. Theassembly according to claim 1, wherein said engagement means comprise atleast one rib extending horizontally along said vertical wall of theadapter, said at least one rib being adapted to define an upper abutmentfor at least one portion of the horseshoe projecting at the rear withrespect to the hoof.
 3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein saidengagement means comprise a plurality of ribs extending horizontally atdifferent heights along said vertical wall of the adapter.
 4. Theassembly according to claim 1, wherein said raised area is formed byinterposing a shim between said sole of the boot body and said base ofthe adapter.
 5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein said shimcomprises at least one plate having a width substantially equal to thedistance between the ends of the bars of the open horseshoe for whichthe engagement means are configured.
 6. The assembly according to claim4, wherein said shim is made of a material having a higher stiffnesswith respect to the material of the adapter.
 7. The assembly accordingto claim 4, wherein said shim is made of an elastomeric material havingShore A hardness of between about 70 and about
 90. 8. The assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein said engagement means are configured forengagement with an open horseshoe and said engagement means comprise atleast two projections extending vertically from said base of the adapterand positioned so as to define a lateral abutment at inner sides of theends of the bars of the open horseshoe.
 9. The assembly according toclaim 1, wherein said engagement means comprise a plurality ofprojections extending vertically from said base of the adapter, at leasttwo projections of said plurality of projections being positioned so asto define a lateral abutment at inner sides of said ends of the bars ofthe horseshoe.
 10. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein saidvertical wall of the adapter comprises a V-shaped cut extendingvertically from the upper edge thereof.
 11. The assembly according toclaim 10, wherein said vertical wall of the adapter comprises at leastone eyelet on each side of the V-shaped cut for the passage of aribbon-like element of said fastening means, each of the at least oneeyelet projecting perpendicularly to said vertical wall on an externalside of the vertical wall.
 12. The assembly according to claim 1,wherein said adapter is made in one piece.
 13. The assembly according toclaim 1, wherein said adapter is made of a material having a lowerstiffness with respect to the material of the boot body.
 14. Theassembly according to claim 1, wherein said adapter is made of anelastomeric material having Shore A hardness of between about 40 andabout
 70. 15. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said boot bodycomprises a front portion of upper intended to come into contact withthe wall of the hoof and wherein said front portion comprises, at theside facing the inside of the boot body, at least one grooved area withparallel grooves, substantially perpendicular to the edge of the upper.16. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said boot body comprisesa front portion of upper intended to come into contact with the wall ofthe hoof and wherein said front portion comprises a first cut extendingvertically from the upper edge thereof.
 17. The assembly according toclaim 1, wherein said boot body comprises a rear portion of upper havinga second cut extending vertically from an upper edge thereof.
 18. Theassembly according to claim 17, wherein said second cut partiallyextends into the sole of the boot body.
 19. The assembly according toclaim 18, wherein the boot body comprises a diaphragm arranged at theportion of said second cut extending into the sole.
 20. The assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein said boot body is made in one piece. 21.The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said boot body is made of anelastomeric material having a Shore A hardness of between about 70 andabout
 90. 22. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said fasteningmeans form a multiple pulley traction system.
 23. The assembly accordingto claim 22, wherein said fastening means comprise a first ribbon-likeelement folded on itself having two free ends connectible at a fasteninggroup defining a first pulley of said multiple pulley traction system,and a second ribbon-like element folded on itself and connected to saidfirst ribbon-like element at an intermediate section and at free endsthereof through rings defining a second pulley of said multiple pulleyfraction system.
 24. The assembly according to claim 22, wherein saidfastening means comprise one ribbon-like element folded on itself, saidat least one ribbon-like element having two free ends connectible at afastening group defining a pulley of said multiple pulley tractionsystem, and being closed ring-wise around said boot body by means of aring defining a second pulley of said multiple pulley traction system.25. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein said boot body comprisesopenings for the passage of said fastening means.
 26. The assemblyaccording to claim 25, wherein said boot body comprises two pairs offirst openings formed at a front portion of an upper and two pairs ofsecond openings formed at a rear portion of an upper.
 27. The assemblyaccording to claim 26, wherein said first openings and said secondopenings are arranged symmetrically with respect to a middlelongitudinal axis (A-A) of said boot body.
 28. The assembly according toclaim 25, wherein said fastening means are associated with said bootbody so as to pass at least partially internally with respect to theboot body and externally with respect to the adapter.
 29. The assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the rear portion of the upper of the bootbody includes a cut extending vertically from an upper edge thereof, thevertical wall of the adapter comprises at least one eyelet that projectsfrom the vertical wall into the cut in the rear portion of the upper ofthe boot body, and the fastening means include a ribbon-like elementthat passes through the eyelet on an outer side of the adapter.
 30. Ahorse boot assembly comprising: a boot body shaped to accommodate a hoofof a horse provided with a horseshoe; fastening means associated withsaid boot body for fastening the boot assembly onto said hoof; and anadapter being separate from the boot body and comprising an eyelet forengagement with said fastening means, wherein the fastening meansengages both the boot body and the adapter and mutually connects theadapter to the boot body when the horse boot assembly is not worn,wherein said adapter comprises engagement means for engagement with saidhorseshoe, wherein said adapter comprises a base lying on a portion of asole of the boot body, and a vertical wall adapted to be interposedbetween a rear portion of an upper of the boot body and a rear part ofthe hoof, the eyelet being connected to the vertical wall.
 31. Theassembly according to claim 30, wherein the adapter is made of amaterial having a lower stiffness than a material of the boot body, andthe fastening means causes compression of the adapter against said readpart of the hoof when the horse boot assembly is fastened to the hoof.32. A horse boot assembly comprising: a boot body shaped to accommodatea hoof of a horse provided with a horseshoe, the boot body having a solewith a first raised section in a central area of the sole configured tocontact a portion of the hoof not covered by the horseshoe, and a secondsection disposed to the front and sides of the first raised section andconfigured to accommodate a front and sides of the horseshoe; fasteningmeans associated with said boot body for fastening the boot assemblyonto said hoof; and an adapter distinct from and inserted in said bootbody, the adapter comprising a base lying on a portion of the sole ofthe boot body, and a vertical wall adapted to be interposed between arear portion of an upper of the boot body and a rear part of the hoof,wherein said adapter further comprises engagement means for engagementwith said horseshoe, said engagement means are configured for engagementwith an open horseshoe and said engagement means comprise a raised areain said base of the adapter, the raised area being disposed rearward ofsaid first raised section and configured for interposition in abutmentbetween ends of bars of the open horseshoe, wherein said adapter iscompressed against said rear part of said hood upon fastening of saidfastening means, and wherein said raised area if formed by a shim madeof elastomeric material interposed between said sole of the boot bodyand said base of the adapter.